The Storm That Followed
by BringOnTheShackles
Summary: Offshot from S3 Ep 1. David's fatherly instincts kick in after Emma risks her life by jumping in to the sea, and Hook approves. Warning:Spanking.


This is an offshoot from Season 3 Episode 1.

As of right now this is a stand alone, but I might add to it in the future...

* * *

"It's not the mermaid, it's us!" Emma realized out loud, but almost to herself. Well, not almost, everyone around her was too embroiled in their own fights to pay attention to her. She shouted, trying to get their attention, "If you all don't stop fighting we're gonnna die. Don't you see we're causing this storm!?"

It was no use, they weren't listening to her. A crazy idea occurred in her mind and she left the wheel of the ship and jumped on to its side.

"HEY! STOP!" YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, her throat sore from the effort. But it was still no use, they weren't paying her the slightest bit of attention. She realized this was what Henry must have felt like for so long, shouting the truth at people, knowing you were right and being totally ignored.

Well, there was one thing she could do that would get their attention, so she turned and dived into the stormy water. The water hit her hard, she hadn't been quite prepared, and slowly it began to pull her under.

Back on the ship the fighting had stopped, both her parents had screamed out after her when she had jumped and now the four left on the boat stood against its side, trying to peer out into the water after her.

"Idiot!" Regina snapped, thinking less of Emma's risk to herself and more of how Henry would feel had the woman gone and got herself killed.

"Regina, get her up here!" Mary Margaret snapped at the woman.

"I can't," Regina snapped back, "Not in this storm, I can't even see her! I'll just bring up water and half her leg!"

Whilst the two woman were having the exchange David had made his mind up, and he was now up on the side of the ship where his daughter had been, preparing to follow her into the sea.

"Wait!" Hook shouted at him.

"She'll drown," David shouted back, struggling to make himself heard over the storm. That was his daughter and there was no option of waiting, not as far as he was concerned. He was her father and he wasn't going to leave her to die.

"So will you," Hook answered, "Let me help."

They tied a rope around David's waist and Hook, Mary Margaret and Regina held on to it, preparing to pull David back to the ship once he got Emma. The three pairs of eyes scoured the surface, waiting for David's head to hit it. Snow could hardly breathe as she clutched the rope, willing her husband and daughter to reappear.

Hook spotted them first, "He has her! Pull!" They began to pull and soon Hook had put the rope on to a pulley system. "I've got it," he shouted, bringing the father and daughter duo up the final stretch of the journey.

David and Emma appeared over the side of the boat and Mary Margaret ran to them, helping them over. The three family members collapsed on the deck of the ship, Emma wasn't moving. Hook stared concernedly down and even Regina felt a surge of worry for the girl.

"Emma," David tried to communicate with her, but she was still and silent.

"Oh no!" Snow whispered, fearing the worst.

The two parents held their daughter, whilst Hook wrestled with his own feelings for her before – Emma sat up and violently coughed up some water. Everyone began to breathe again, relief flooding the boat, and the rain splatters his the tears of joy on Mary Margaret's face.

Lying in her father's arms Emma's eyes looked up at the sky. She had been right, the storm clouds were shifting and the moon was once again becoming visible. "I told you," she said, feeling somewhat smug and getting to her feet, still focused on the calming sky. Or at least she was, until an almighty smack landing on her backside diverted her attention.

As she had gotten to her feet so had David and it seemed his relief at her being alive didn't quite cancel out the anger he felt at the course of action she had taken.

The first smack was followed by another, and another, David's arms – built with years of sword fighting experience – were powerful even over her jeans and each smack seared through her. After the shock at what was happening had passed Emma began to move, to try and avoid his hand but her small, quick steps were no match for his powerful strides and no matter which way she moved his right hand always seemed to find his target.

She swiveled, turning to face him, to ask him what he thought he was doing but that slight pause gave David all the advantage he needed and he grabbed her upper arm with his left hand, whirled her around and now had her firmly anchored in place for bringing a plenthora of smacks down on her rear end.

"What the hELL?!" she shrieked as another powerful blow found its target.

"You," David said, his teeth gritted in concentration at the task at hand, accompanying every word with a firm smack, "Will not put yourself in unnecessary danger!" When he said unnecessary he broke it down into syllables, landing four quick, stinging swats before bringing his large hand down with a clap that rivaled the thunder Emma had just helped stop. It was so unfair!

With that thought she moved her free hand back to cover her rear end and tried to duck her lower half forward, out of harm's way, screeching that it wasn't fair. She saw Hook smirk and shake his head out of the corner of her eye. She was aware that she sounded ridiculous, whiney, like the child she was being treated as.

Wait! That was it! She wasn't a child and she didn't need to take this. She threw her body round, bringing her right elbow up to David's face, smacking him in the nose. David let her go with the shock of what had just happened and Emma used her advantage to sail her left fist through the air and collide with his face.

"How could you even think about trying that you son of a –" she continued, ready to punch again when a hand went over her mouth and an arm with a hook at the end came across her chest, holding her tight and still.

"Come on, behave yourself now lass," Hook said gently, in her ear so that only she heard.

Emma stared at David, at her father. He looked shocked, stunned even, and hurt. She shifted her gaze over to Mary Margaret. Her mother had crossed over to where their confrontation had been taking place, one hand clapped over her mouth in horror, the other stretched out towards her husband. She shifted her eyes over again to Regina. Even she looked taken aback at what had taken place. But not at the first part of what had happened, she had seen Hook smirk at what was taking place, at the way her father had smacked her repeatedly, in front of them all. But now what she had done to defend herself was shocking and horrifying? What she had done had caused Hook to step in and grab her. He didn't think to grab her and protect her before?

"I'm going to take Emma to my quarters," Hook said over her shoulder to David and Mary Margaret, "Give her some space and time to calm down."

He had begun to half carry her, half walk her towards the doors of his quarters before she began to struggle against him but he carried on and as they reached the doors she bit down hard on the fingers that were over her mouth, tasting salty blood.

He swore and removed the hand, shaking it as though he thought he could shake the sting away, but not without registering the hot, angry tears that had fallen from Emma's eyes onto it.

He placed his hand in the small of her back, unlocking the door with his hook before gently pushing her through it. The initial struggle seemed to have gone out of her now and she stood, her back determinedly to him, her arms wrapped around herself.

Hook sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before saying, quietly, "You went a bit far there love."

She rounded on him, "I went a bit far?! Did you see what he… what he was doing to me?" She'd started sounding strong but her voice quavered by the end.

Well, if she couldn't bring herself to say it, he'd say it for her, "Yes, I did see. He smacked your arse because you put your life in danger by jumping off a ship during a storm."

Emma felt the blood rush to her cheeks, and she stared resolutely away from Hook, trying to ignore the fresh wave of humiliated tears that was rising in her eyes. She didn't know why she was crying – she had gone through worse.

"How can you be on his side?" she whispered.

Hook frowned, "Because he's right."

Hook didn't understand why she didn't understand. Alright, there appeared to be less of a physical age gap between her and her parents than most but surely, as a parent, she understood?

"I did it because none of you were listening to me, I had to get your attention," Emma whined, still facing in the opposite direction.

"And there was really no other way you could have done that?" Hook replied, his tone gentle. Indeed, something about this entire situation was bringing out a more gentle side of him than she had ever seen before and had she been less preoccupied with the dull heat in her backside and the humiliation she'd just gone through, Emma might have appreciated it.

"I don't know, there was no need for him to be so violent anyway!" she answered, trying to sound snappy and cringing when her voice sounded whiney and childish.

Hook snorted, "Violent?"

And then he realized she genuinely believed herself. He set him mouth in a straight line and crossed over to where she stood, stepping in front of her and titling her chin up with his hand till she was forced to make eye contact.

"Let's get one thing straight here – your father smacked your arse for you because you risked your life and probably nearly gave him and your mother a heart attack in the process. What you did was violent. And totally uncalled for, because let me tell you lass – what you got there was light. If you were mine I'd have dragged you in here, put you over my knee and given you a proper spanking – one that would stop you sitting comfortably for quite some time. What you got was some very moderate parental discipline," Emma opened her mouth to protest but he ignored her and continued. "What you did was to try and break your father's face whilst having a tantrum. So I'd have a serious think about your use of the word violent."

She glared at him as he finished his little speech and he stared back at her, raising an eyebrow, wondering what he'd have to say to her to get her to understand. And then, quite unexpectedly, her stubborn resolve seemed to disappear and she broke down into floods of tears. He was taken aback for a few seconds but quickly gathered himself together and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms round her, holding her whilst she cried. She was so small, but so strong and yet she needed someone to hold her. That, Hook realized, was most likely the problem – she'd never had someone to hold her, she'd been so busy fighting for herself, then fighting for Henry, she'd never had…

"There, there, shh, you'll be okay," he murmured, stroking his hand through her hair and down her face, tenderly wiping away her tears as they fell.

"I've just…. I've never been… I mean, I haven't…." Emma stuttered out between the great heaving sobs that signaled the end of her crying.

Hook looked down at her, "Are you genuinely telling me no one ever spanked you before? Not even when you were a child?"

"No. No one ever punished me at all, I was in and out of foster homes my whole life. I was a pay cheque for people. They didn't care enough to…"

This was worse than Hook had realized. She needed someone, she needed a family, and she needed to relax and let down her guard enough to let people in to do that, to be that for her. But it was rare. In fact, he was fairly sure he was the first person who had ever really seen her like this. He didn't know what the future held for him or her, but if they were in it together – which he hoped against hope they would be – he'd vow to spend every day for the rest of their days making sure she knew she had someone to love her, protect her, to hold her, even to punish her when she needed it. He would be everything she needed.

He swallowed, "Well, it's pretty much common practice in the majority of the realms I've visited." He tried not to laugh as she looked up at him, her eyes wide, her expression shocked. "I can tell you right now that if I did what you've just done my brother would have sat down, turned me over his knee and tanned my hide. I reckon someone's boot would have probably come off and I'd have had the sole of it applied pretty firmly." He decided to gloss over the fact that had happened, rather than being something he reckoned would have.

She took a minute to process that before, "I can't believe I…. David… he must…" Emma buried her face in her hands and ran them through her wet hair.

"You can talk to him in a minute but for now I think you need to change into some dry clothes."

Ten minutes later Emma was sitting on the edge of Hook's bed, wearing one of his billowing shirts as a dress, a leather belt at her waist and her feet bare. When she heard the door open and saw David standing in the doorway her eyes widened and she stood up, chewing on her lip and looking at his chest rather than his face, feeling very much like a naughty child who needed her father's forgiveness.

The oversized shirt seemed to shrink her already small frame and David, for his part, felt less like he was about to try and have a discussion with his twenty eight year old daughter about the punishment he'd just dished out and more like he was there to cuddle a chastised teenager. But then, if she had been a chastised teenager that wouldn't have been her first spanking from him and she probably wouldn't have nearly broken his nose as a result of it.

She played with the cuffs of the shirt for a second before saying, in a very small voice, "Dad…"

She trailed off but that was all he'd needed to hear to know that they'd be okay – he crossed the room in what seemed like an instant and enveloped his daughter in his arms.

"I'm so sorry," Emma whispered, clinging on to his shirt which was still damp from rescuing her. She felt so stupid. He had jumped into the sea after her, without hesitating, to save her life. He loved her. Why had she ever thought he had acted out of anything other than love? She began to cry again, more softly this time, her fist bundling up David's shirt, her face buried in against it, repeating "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," over and over again.

"I know, I know," David said, holding on to her, planting light kisses on the top of her head, "I'm sorry I reacted that way and began to punish you without discussing it with you first. I shouldn't have done that. You just gave me such a fright, I thought we'd lost you over again, fatherly instincts just kicked in…"

"I know that now, I get it, I understand. I had just… my foster families, none of them ever cared enough to punish me," she said, her face still buried into his chest, her voice barely audible.

"Well," David said, smiling down at the top of the blonde head that pressed against him, "As long as I'm around I'm more than prepared to make up for all the lost years of parenting – I love you. I love you enough to deliver a few smacks here and there when I think they're needed. Though now of course you know they'll be coming whenever you act rashly."

Emma said nothing, but blushed slightly as she held on to David, her first real fixture of stability – through his punishment, her first real parent.

Emma slept for about an hour, emotionally and physical drained before waking up to find Hook smirking down at her.

"Your clothes are pretty much dry, and we're about to disembark."

"Right, thanks."

He made to go before turning back, "Oh! And once more thing."

"What?"

Quick as a flash he rolled the unsuspecting woman onto her stomach and brought his hand down with a crack on to her scantily clad rear, "That was for biting my finger."

Then he straightened up, winked at her, and headed back out onto the deck.


End file.
